Tag Archives: homemade

It’s a sad thing to have a nut allergy and be attracted to the idea of peanut butter. It’s sad until you realize, oh… there are so so many ways to get a nutty taste, and fat, and cream and, yeah all the “bad” stuff peanut butter devourers crave. But, what’s splendid is that when you take out the fact that it’s a peanut you’re going to roast and turn into cream, and replace it with pumpkin seeds and grapeseed oil, you’re getting plenty of omega-3’s and good fats, a roasted nutty flavor, and something without any additives.
So, thank you nut allergy? Either way. Love it, so we’ve got the next episode of the Bubble Child cooking show. :)

So, lunch today was kind of unfair. I had leftover filet mignon from a local butcher and had just devised a recipe for a Thai “peanut sauce” without peanuts. Yes, that means I had filet mignon spring rolls. Yes, filet mignon spring rolls with a sauce I’ve never been able to taste in my life.

I’ve been rather addicted to these things lately. (Spring rolls that is.) Here’s why:

1. They’re easy to make (soak in water and roll!)

2. They’re naturally gluten-free (just rice and tapioca flour)

3. The texture is light and fun

“Fun” is a word to describe taste. Oh yes, should I ever be judge on Master Chef, it will be a criteria.

Since I am a Bubble Child of the sort where I will die in a very literal sense if I consume even a particle of a nut, I have never tasted a Thai peanut sauce. My friends swear by it. It has been something on my list of things to try should I have, say, a definite 1 minute left to live. It’d be great to never check that list off.

With that in mind, it has taken me years, and by years I mean 5, to figure out the right combination of flavor and spice to recreate the traditional peanut sauce. It means seeds, it means turmeric, it even means lemongrass powder if you can find some!

I highly recommend adopting spring rolls into your weekly gastronomic regimen. The shells save so easily and you can fill with whatever your heart fancies. It’s like a bunch of tiny burritos you get to eat in a row without feeling like a giant walking bean.

Teff flour has been one of my favorite substitutes for wheat flour for a while now. Teff milk was a new discovery today: I’m not sure that rice milk is the best thing to consume out of the lactose-free milks as it’s basically just sugar. It’s not bad, but it’s not rich, either. Teff milk has now been my favorite dairy-free milk for one day. A whole day. And now night.

It’s real here: baguette is something that surpasses stereotype. It surrounds the daily function of the Parisian, clings to the backs of those dedicated enough to leave an opening in their backpacks for the long strand of yeast-risen staple, breaks beneath the fingers of the eager who cannot make it home without finding the tip missing. Yup, baguette’s a thing. And today I wanted one real bad. That’s when I found teff flour for the first time in grocery stores here. Sha buy yah roll call

I think you’ve gotta be a bit of a geek to make it in this world. Tech-y stuff is all over, and what’s slightly paradoxical is that I’ve found the more I give up my old ways of traditional-is-better-because-it’s-more-human, unless I actually want to go Neanderthal, it’s hit me that these new advances in images and sound and things with computers and wires can actually make the human things we do more interesting.

It’s not like the computer made the baguette.

I say this because you may notice that these pictures look slightly better than the past. That’s because technically they are. I’ve succumbed to, with the greatest pleasure, an actual camera. It’s manual, I control things like aperture and shutter speed, and photoshop is now something taking up space in my hard drive. In between washing off the teff flour and gluten-free yeast from my hands, I spent my first day with my new ally in the kitchen. And then ate some baguette so I’d have something pretty to share with you. Of course, that was the only impetus to construct a plate like this.

Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl, adding salt at the very last second before you add liquid. (Salt will kill the yeast if left too long without the sugar to feed on.)

Add flax seed mixture and half of the teff milk. Knead with hands. Add honey/agave nectar and remainder of milk and more if needed to get a moist dough that is not sticky. If too dry, add more milk or a bit water. If sticky, add a bit of rice flour. Knead for about 5 minutes, form into a ball, and let rise in bowl covered with wet towel.

Knead again for 5 minutes, separate into three balls for mini baguettes, two balls for demi baguettes, or keep whole for a large baguette. Roll into a cylinder, then taper out the edges. Place on a prepared baking sheet (silicon mat and a light oiling will do quite well) and flatten a bit in the middle, and then fold in both edges (see photo at beginning of post). You’ll make a bit of a smushed taco. Flip over (the smush is the bottom of the baguette) and make lines with a small knife on the top. Cover with a damp towel and let rise about 1 1/2-2 hours minimum.* Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake bread for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with a fine layer of oil and sprinkle with salt. Place back in oven turned the other way, for even cooking, and bake another 10 minutes. If the inside or bottom is not cooked through, reduce heat to 375 F (185 degrees C) and bake for another 5-10 minutes. This really varies upon the size of your baguette and your oven. Remove from heat, let cool to touch, and consume within a day for freshness. To keep longer, keep it in the freezer until use.

*If preparing the night before, keep covered in the refrigerator and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours the next day.

You know how when you have sushi and it doesn’t taste like just rice and seaweed and raw fish? Yeah, that’s probably the reason we keep eating it, because as appetizing as the thought of eating an ocean soaked in China’s starch staple sounds, it’s not.

Sushi can either be refined art, think Jiro Dreams of Sushi, or something as casual as a taco cart. The problem with eating at Japanese restaurants for those with Celiac Disease is that soy sauce is made with wheat traditionally, and most preparations might have a touch of it as it replaces salt in most Asian cuisines. The problem with making sushi at home, then, would be that rice cooked in just water never seems to taste like “sushi rice” and finding sushi grade quality fish may not be possible in your area.

The thing is, making gluten-free sushi at home is really quite easy. What’s more, you know the products you’re using are to your standards (because you bought them) and you have creative liberty to replace salmon with tofu if you’re vegetarian, or add some fun flavors like mango and cilantro if you’re seeking some peppppps.

The other day I have rice and leftover dried seaweed from an experiment a few weeks prior. I had leftover bits and pieces of smoked salmon, and no interest to go grocery shopping. I had forgotten how much I love the convenience (and price tag) of making sushi at home. The difference, for me, is in the rice.

Method: Bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Lightly salt water, add rice, stir just once, skim foam off top using a spoon, cover, and reduce heat to low to simmer for about 30-35 minutes. Once water is absorbed, taste rice to make sure it is cooked enough. If not, add about 2 tbs. more water, cover, and let steam another 5-10 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is cooked al dente. Remove from heat. Keep covered. In small sauce pan, bring 1/4 cup water, vinegar and agave nectar to a boil. Let bubble about 30 seconds, remove from heat. Whisk in wasabi powder (optional, but recommended). Using a large flat spoon, stir syrup into cooked rice gently. This gentle stirring serves two purposes: it covers the rice in flavor and it also gently releases the starches while it slowly cools down the rice for optimal texture and binding properties. Let rice cool to room temperature before using it in your sushi.

Great. I’ve got my rice. WhaaadooIdoooNow? You get to play with your food! Maki Sushi refers to the type where the seaweed is on the outside. This type is really convenient to make at home, as you don’t even need a sushi rolling mat or plastic sheet wrap.

Method: Lay dried seaweed flat on a clean cutting board. Cover all of it with a thin layer of sushi rice, leaving about 1″ (3 cm) gap at one of the ends (see photo at the top). On the opposite side of the seaweed, 2″ (6 cm) in from the edge lay out your toppings. Ready to roll? Gently brush a tiny bit of water on the edge of the sushi not covered with rice (this serves as glue). Like rolling up a sleeping bag, start with the rice-covered side and cover the filling. Keep going, and as you completely roll your filling into the rice and seaweed, pull so that it’s snug and compact. Roll until it touches the other end, where you will press slightly firmly to seal the dry sushi to the wet sushi, where the added water will act like glue. To serve, using a sharp chef’s knife, cut into desired piece sizes and serve with tamari, pickled ginger, and wasabi if you’ve got it.

If you wanna get fun, try difference variations, like using last night’s fried chicken with a touch of tamari to give it some Asian flavor. Making your own sushi may take a few practice rounds to see the exact amount of rice vs. filling, but you can always start over and reuse your rice and protein. Dried seaweed is cheap as Monday, so don’t feel bad if you waste a few sheets in your trials.

Deck the halls and guzzle down egg nog! Yesssss yes, I can totally be for that. I can also totally get sick of (and off) that.

<–Christmastime consumption in Paris. You might as well roll me around on one of those after ingesting its neighbor.

I’ve found a wonderful break from the heartiness of holiday merry-making to be a convenient and mailable combination of garbanzo beans and rice penne pasta. Growing up in the more traditional spaghetti bolognese household, the 6-year-old me would have slapped my wrist for coming up with such a combination. The 26-year-old feeding herself in in this season of cheer? Totally impressed with how good these two things taste together and how light yet full I feel afterwards.

1. Cook gluten-free rice penne pasta in salted water according to packaged directions to al dente.

2. Meanwhile, slowly cook shallots and garlic in olive oil to release aromas over low heat. You don’t want them to change color, just infuse in the oil.

3. When pasta is cooked, drain, rinse, and then put in heating pan with shallots and garlic. Sprinkle in sage. Toss a few times to combine flavors, then let stay warm over low heat or to the side of the stove.

4. Heat about 1/4 cup high heat neutral oil in a pot over medium heat. Make sure your cooked garbanzo beans are drained, and drop in when oil is hot to fry. When they have started to brown in color, remove from oil and rest on a paper towel for 30 seconds to remove excess oil.

5. To serve, make sure pasta is still warm (if not put the pan back on heat for a few seconds) and salt to taste with a fine sea salt. Put on a plate, top with fried garbanzo beans, then sprinkle paprika over the top. Goes really really well with roasted brussel sprouts. (See photo at top!)

2. Meanwhile, sauté onion in 1 tbs. high heat oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Deglaze with ketchup. Let cook 30 seconds. Add vinegar. Let cook another 30 seconds to cook out acidity. Add stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook over medium high heat until reduced down just a thin layer on the bottom.

3. Add garbanzo beans that have been drained and about 1/2 cup water or stock to make it a liquid sauce again. Cook to reduce and infuse beans with sauce flavors. Reduce to about half, add in cooked pasta. Toss over low heat to combine flavors. If you want it more soup-like, add more stock or water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf. To serve, dish into wide soup bowls. Sprinkle some chopped herbs on top to be fancy.

*To cook your own garbanzo beans instead of buying canned, soak dried beans in water at room temperature for 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. Cook in 3 times the amount of water NOT salted with a bay leaf and a sprig of thyme (optional) for about 2 hours in a gentle simmer, covered. Add a heavy pinch of salt after 2 hours of cooking (they will not cook as fast if you add salt beforehand! Trust this one.) Keep cooking over low heat until they feel like canned beans, i.e. you can squish them between your fingers and they have an even cooking throughout. Make sure beans always have liquid covering them, so add more water if it evaporates.